Lucid
by chronos-luminos
Summary: Menma ends up in a strange place. He's not sure what to do, except go with the flow. (A journey through Earthland with previous S-Rank criminal, Uzumaki Menma.)
1. extra: sanguine cheesecake

**A/N: Please note that this is the Road to Ninja version of Menma. Also known as the equivalent of Dark Naruto/Dark Kyuubi.**

* * *

_vermilion__ wisps_

_and crackling ire_

* * *

_X784_

_(Fairy Tail - Guild Hall)_

"Are you saying that you've killed before?" Erza asked, eyes narrowing into harsh slits and gaze threatening. She would have guessed it, but it was inarticulately obvious that Menma had something that he hadn't told everyone.

Maybe it was because Erza just needed to know. Her curiosity had been a dangerous thing to toy with and when she had her eyes set on something, she would receive the answer, tooth and nail ready at hand. It was a strict yet unsaid rule in Fairy Tail : no killing whatsoever. Possibly it was just some regulation that the re-equip mage had decided to enforce but when she got to the enforcing, it became a serious deal.

Somehow, Menma seemed to be unaffected by her unrelenting glare. His posture shifted slightly, arms delicately on the tabletop and legs crossed, back leaning against the seat of his chair. His glinting clear sapphires dilated, making the colour more intense than usual and if one could tell, he was amused by the scarlet-haired mage's question.

So his response came with mirth, a casual sentence that heavily fell on Erza's ears.

"Yes, I have killed before," He said, expression neutral.

Erza Scarlet was not happy. In actual fact, the whole guild seemed stunned at the revelation. They waited in bated breath for the expectedly fiery reaction to his answer. Surely Erza would maim him for doing such an act; killing.

The tension in the air was so thick that it could be sliced open— much like the tearing of one's flesh, Menma thought, memories clouding his mind behind the unrelenting red orbs. He may have felt the greatest pleasure at the death of someone else, by his hands, no less. However, after he had been saved from his hideous plight by his other self, the reactions towards losing lives muted, and he felt nothing, possibly a minute insert of agony and guilt, nothing more.

Killing used to be his life. He used to wipe out villages, spear people and torture them to their last breath, watching as they died, final breathless cries falling on their insatiably blood-lusting murderer. It felt good, it felt powerful. He truly experienced the glory of his strength and the people he mercilessly slayed were merely trophies of his achievements.

Now, though, they were just faceless bodies swimming in the sea of the dead, nothing more than faint cries of pain and screams of desperation flittering in his mind. He was over that stage and he'd gladly turn away from it.

After all, he didn't want to feel their grimy blood splattered hands on his arms any more. They reminded him of the red love that his parents had given him, bright and fiery. There may have been a hint of remorse as well, but it was just another weight on his legs. Maybe he was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from not killing in over ten years and he scoffed at that. Was there such a thing as withdrawal effects from abstinence of spilling blood?

Erza took a moment to suck in a deep breath. Her mind was being clogged by fuming rage and she didn't want to let it cloud her judgement. Judgement? What judgement? Her eyes closed briefly as she re-lived some of her past moments. When she opened them, she swore that she could see the highly strung amusement inside Menma's bloody orbs.

"What's so funny?" She screamed before she could stop herself. No, she was seeing red again. She needed to stop this, she needed to calm down.

The levity in his eyes vanished and was replaced by a well-hidden glare of scorn. The sitting male sat up, staring Erza straight in the eye. His breath was even, showing no sign of how annoyed he was. There was no twitching of his face, no narrowing of the eyes. What had been years of experience dealing with difficult people made it clear that the re-equip mage was not backing down.

"Oh, nothing. I mean, of course, my business is yours to know, Scarlet," His words left his mouth in a hissing satire. It was not his usual honey steeped timbre but a more animalistic growl, prevalent in foxes and aggressive tigers.

The use of her surname, the one that Jellal had specially given her, in such a mocking manner engendered a violent response from the scarlet-haired mage. With a belligerent swipe of her sword, she lunged at the source of her rage.

Although Menma was indeed very annoyed at Erza, he reigned in his control tightly. There was a hungry part of him that wanted nothing more than to just stamp on the ignorant little girl and tell her to stop being so uncontrollably indignant but he ignored it with practiced ease. It would be akin to giving in to her insufferable questions and there was no way he would submit to such a soul.

He sat in the same position, back lightly slouching in a relaxed stance.

Despite his appearance being the same even as Erza charged at him with a sharpened sword in hand, he stayed neutrally calm. Though he looked as if he was doing nothing, the re-equip mage was blown back by a trembling force, invisible to the eye but as strong as the winds of the howling sea. She reflexively shielded her sword in front of her, attempting to stand her ground. After a few patient seconds, the gust slowly dissipated, as if it had never been there.

"It would do you well to stop questioning me. Being inconsiderate is never the right way to treat someone," Menma lightly said, drawling his words out in a languid swell. "I apologise if I have offended you in any way, Erza."

He was met with the sharp, piercing glare of the female. Oh, he wasn't actually sorry, but seriously, who the hell attacked someone just because they wouldn't speak? (In his mind, he coughed slightly at that and reminded himself that he was one of those people.) Before the fiery mage could retort with a sniping remark of hers, a calm yet stern voice interrupted their exchange.

"Erza, please calm down."

It was guild master Makarov that had halted the impending doom. Everyone turned to him, expecting gazes directed onto his small form. He walked forward slowly, sighing as he went.

"I understand that you have issues with Menma, but he is your guild mate and everyone from Fairy Tail has a difficult past. Please do not be so hostile to him," He might have added in 'Since he was the one who took care of you almost every day when you joined.' but decided against it, not wanting to anger her further.

Why couldn't they all get along just for one day?

The scarlet-haired mage stilled, deeply coloured hair covering her eyes as she lowered her head. There was still trembling fury inside her veins, aching to just hack and slash the black-haired mage to his suffering. However, if it was her guild master's wish to stop, then she could not protest like a starving child. "I apologise for my heavy words, Master, but—"

The old man sighed, cutting Erza off. "Just try to see where he's coming from, alright? Actions in the past may affect the present, but what comes in the future can be tamed. Menma has already proven himself to be more than responsible. "

Gritting her teeth, the scarlet-haired mage controlled herself, refraining from speaking. She might have spat out cruel words and she did not want to make more out of the scene she that she had created. The turbulent storm of emotions raged through her body, threatening to release itself in a barrage of angry shouts.

Inside, Erza was slightly repulsed at ever getting along with a killer. How could she forgive someone who had just proclaimed that they had taken someone's life away and not even with a single shred of remorse or regret? Everything about it was unjust, disgustingly putrid and horrifyingly real to the sword-mage.

She held her tongue and conceded. If the guild master was here, she couldn't act like a starving child.

"Yes, Master."

Menma watched the ambivalent emotions mixing inside Erza's eyes. He knew how she felt about killing. He understood it as well. That didn't mean that he could follow her expectations.

When Erza made no move to say anything more to Menma, he bit back the urge to growl at her and calmed himself down. He couldn't expect her to understand his reasoning or accept his previous actions, but she could at least be a little bit more forgiving towards him.

The members in the guild who had watched the exchange stared blankly into the air, no one daring to interrupt the still air of draping weights. Running a hand through the dark locks of his hair, Menma decided to break the uncomfortable mood.

Standing up leisurely, he glided over to the bar counter, where Mirajane had been watching their argument from, brushing past the re-equip mage, who was currently standing stock-still. There was a tinge of guilt that stirred inside him and maybe a little hinge of apologetic, but he wasn't going to take back his words nor kills. If he regretted it, he shouldn't have done it.

He sat on one of the stools, idly watching the rest of the guild slowly resume to their meaningless talking, possibly gossiping about the earlier scene. He had never expected the conversation to go that far. It had been a heated outburst from Erza and he might have willingly blamed it on her, if not for the fact that he was the one to respond with such a crudely honest truth.

"Mirajane, one green tea please," He ordered the simmering drink, knowing that it would calm him down. The barmaid nodded unsurely, ruffled by his earlier words directed at Erza.

Menma had been in the guild longer than anyone else she knew, however, none of them knew much about him. All they knew was that he was a very strong mage (higher than S-Class, for sure) and that he took on occasional missions. Also, he was chased by the media to model for advertisements and such, but never actually accepted any of the requests.

Menma was truly a mystery to all of them. He hardly talked, (much about himself), preferring to be silent and attentive.

What she did know for sure was that he had been a compassionate soul, always tenderly treating the kids of the guild. Natsu was practically latched onto the guy twenty-four-seven, challenging him for battles. Gray was more reserved with his affections, but she could tell that the ice mage was respectful of him. Even herself, she had grown to like him very much and she could remember Erza being highly attached to him.

Which was why she had reacted so violently when Menma said that he had killed before.

To have your role model, the sole person you look up to, defy your own morals, your own expectations was a heavy blow to the re-equip mage. Mirajane couldn't help but wonder if he had been bothered by his actions. There was no hint of regret in his voice, just a casual remark that sounded as if he had said it a thousand times over.

A sigh escaped her pretty pink lips.

She meticulously prepared his tea, aware that Menma liked his tea traditional. It was finely blended matcha, slightly bitter, but with the exquisite taste of oriental green tea.

As she passed the cup towards him, she unconsciously took the money he placed on the table and didn't stop herself from asking a question. "Why did you react so harshly to Erza?"

His response was not what she expected.

There was a slow exhale of breath, followed by the calm sip of his tea. His eyes met the take-over mage's for a brief moment, before it indulged itself in the rising steam of his drink. "It's a bad thing to put someone on a pedestal when they don't deserve it."

"What do you mean, 'don't deserve'?" The words escaped her mouth and for a second, she anticipated a biting hiss in response, or perhaps the loud crash of his cup. There was none of that.

"Exactly what it means," He paused and took another slow drink, savouring the clean taste of the tea and continued, sighing as he propped his arms up onto the counter, resting his head on his uplifted hands. His eyes stared deep into the barmaid's clear cerulean pupils. "I'm insinuating that I don't deserve such praise. Erza's grown up and she doesn't need a dysfunctional role model. She can be herself, not try to be someone she isn't."

This piqued her interest.

"You do realise that if you didn't want her to look up to you, you could have told her earlier. Not right now, when she's already trusted you," Mirajane responded, sounding rather upset. "Besides, I don't think you're a bad person, even if you have killed."

Menma looked as if he wanted to laugh.

However, there was something deep inside his cobalt pools that told her he hadn't intended to hurt Erza. She felt strangely like comforting him. Was that regret inside his eyes, or was it just the flicker of light that was reflected?

"It's already too late now, isn't it? Doesn't matter, at least she knows how to deal with betrayal of trust. In any case, I don't feel like I've done anything wrong. I never lied about the topic, I just avoided it, and Erza chose to mistake that for not having breached any of her trust," He lazily replied, watching the ripples on the surface of his tea. With another long drink, he had finished the cup, the trickling heat along his throat not bothering him in the least. "I'm not going to blame myself for what I've done. I can't take it back, so there's no point in doing so."

Mirajane watched him intently, eyes searching his own before she let her gaze drop.

"You know, I never really liked you when I was a kid. You always had an inhuman aura and I could feel the hatred seeping off you in waves. Honestly, it was pretty scary," The barmaid allowed herself to smile when she saw the raised eyebrow on Menma's face. As she set her hands down onto the counter, she continued, "The way you treated the rest of the kids and me made a difference. I put off that stupid dislike and grew to like you. You must have noticed, right? The way all of us began clinging onto your shoulders and everywhere you went, we would follow."

Menma's expression turned into one of deep contemplation. There was recognition and fondness in his cerulean eyes, and a soft melancholic glow on his face. It looked rather sad and happy at the same time and the barmaid began again. "I don't think you could ever break our trust, even if you did horrible things." He nodded, eyes glazed over in memories.

"We trust you, so don't go and do stupid things. No one really knows about you, but all of us know that you're not a bad person. Quite the opposite, actually," She beamed at him, eyes sparkling and expression admiring.

The black-haired mage sighed slowly, as if he was letting go of something. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Honestly, he didn't know he had such an effect on the kids. Well, not really kids anymore, but it was rather rewarding to see them grow up. They all became extremely capable mages and he didn't need to guide them anymore. Mavis was right, mistakes aren't shackles. They're the fuel that raises a person's heart.

"I feel like a father right now," Menma joked, handing the cup back to Mirajane. He got up, stretching lackadaisically.

"You've been an especially good one, you know," She replied, smiling sincerely.

"Just to let you know, you guys were hell of an annoyance. I personally hated all of you," He smiled falsely, deadpanning. With that, he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked forward silently.

Waving a hand behind him, he ambled to the door and left the guild, eyes staring up at the open sky above him.

"I miss you, Mom and Dad. Looks like I can understand what you guys went through when you raised me. Even after all of my ridiculous antics, after I freaking became the villain, you still loved me. No wonder some people hate children. Must have been hard, right?"

He let out a deep, throaty chuckle and set off into the streets.

He needed to buy some strawberry cheesecake for Erza.

* * *

**A/N:** This is admittedly my first fanfiction and I'm not sure what to think of it. Menma has never been used as a character in any Fairy Tail crossovers with Naruto (not that I've seen any before) and I was scared that I'd make his personality too stray from what he would be expected to act like.

Well, some of you might be confused. I didn't intend to write Menma's journey with a starting point and I wrote this on a whim because I liked this scene. Ah well. This was also used to test my ability to write. Do point out any mistakes that I may have made.

If you'd like, please leave a small review. I appreciate criticism as well and it would help in furthering my writing skills. Also... I might just write this story with a proper start, journeying through Menma's experience on Earthland. It might be different from what I've written here.

Last but not least, I thank you for reading this piece. It means a lot to me.


	2. frigid luck

**A/N** : This is the actual start of the story, in a different time. The previous chapter can be considered as a prologue of sorts, or an extra.

* * *

_frozen souls amongst strangers_

_letting their control slip_

_until none is left_

* * *

X?

(Unknown Location - ?)

A pound of grogginess fell upon him as he woke. Shaking his head with heavy movements, he reached for his consciousness, or any form of alertness that would pull him out of this situation. Cold ice was seeping through his system and the feeling of something soft, yet wet against his skin made him shiver. Numbness ran through his body.

After gaining some of his senses, Menma pulled himself up forcefully, opening his eyes and groaning at the horribly blinding light invading his vision. Trembling, he noted the presence of snow all around him. Snow?

'Damn!'

Pulling his fingers to his face, he cursed when he saw that they were turning a hideous shade of pale, indistinct blue. As he tried to stand, he felt his legs crumbling beneath him, like the glaciers of ice falling to the ground. With an insane amount of will, he dragged himself up from the innocently white snow. He frowned at the sudden turn of events. Where was he? No, now was not the time. He needed to find shelter from the freezing blizzard he was currently in.

Steadying himself, Menma, who was only dressed in a black shirt worn over a mesh undershirt and some simple black standard ninja pants, experienced the frozen temperatures at full force against his bare skin. Inside, he thanked himself for wearing his fingerless opera-length gloves.

'The only place with snow is the Land of Iron and the Land of Snow...' He thought, muttering under his breath. Small puffs of white floated up from his mouth. The cold temperature was getting to him. His limbs were getting stiff and numb. What _jutsu_ could he use to get him out of this?

Frozen winds whipped against his shivering form, threatening to topple him over. He quickly scanned his surroundings and when he saw a small gathering of trees, he maneuvered towards them. They were bare and leafless, but they would serve their purpose well.

At this point, he was quite desperate, so he urgently formed several hand seals.

"Katon : Gokakyuu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release : Great Fireball Technique)

As the large ball of fire rushed towards the swaying trees, it faced the harsh cold winds and ultimately, hit the poor trees. They caught fire easily and the blaze swept through their forms, emanating a comforting orange light. Menma moved forward, enjoying the warmth coming from the burning trees.

He might have revised his idea, seeing the clouds of black smoke drift upwards. It smelt like ashes, but Menma was pretty used to that already so he didn't mind.

The ice surrounding the trees melted, creating puddles of smoke and ash ridden water.

Menma noticed that the fire was already calming down, due to the lack of any fuel near it, and also the constant snowing. Now, a slow and coaxing flame was burning, about three times the size of Menma himself. Some trees had fallen, but he was in no danger of being knocked down. It was time to figure out where the hell he was, and what he was doing.

There was no noticeable landmarks anywhere and the mountains towering over his form gave him no clue of his own location. Grumbling, he fished out a seal from his pouch. Sure, he wasn't wearing his vest, but a good _shinobi_ still kept weapons on him. Unsealing it, he grinned when a large fur coat appeared and eagerly wrapped it around his form.

'Love this coat,' Even if it reminded him of his horrifying deeds (it had seen many people die, tortured and burnt to death), it still was warm. There was no way he would wear it in the Fire Nation though. It had been sweltering when he had worn it and he swore he nearly died wearing it. Fashion, his foot.

He turned back to the fire. It was doing nicely even as it's fuel slowly turned to ashes. The strong wind had blown most of the smoke towards the mountains, easily spreading throughout the air.

'Where the hell am I?' He searched his memory, sifting through all the past events thoroughly. If he was in a place with snow, how did he get here? Why was he here? Menma bit his lip as he attempted to find out why he was in this mountainous region. _Konohagakure _wasn't anywhere near the Land of Iron or the Land of Snow and Menma himself wasn't allowed outside of the village.

He had just been on his way to Ichiraku's to get some good ramen, but he didn't remember eating any. 'Right, first thing, search the area.'

Tugging his coat, he trudged through the thick snow.

**'Tch, what'cha doing in this horrible climate?' **A low growl echoed in his mind. Ah. It was the fox.

'Hello to you too, Kurama,' Menma responded, shrugging at the fox's question. Kurama was more mild-tempered these days. After their capture, he was rather angry and upset but that had passed with time. 'Know where we are? I'm pretty lost.'

Tossing Menma a harsh glare, Kurama closed his eyes, as if searching for something. **'What have you done this time? We're not in Konoha anymore.'**

'Well of course,' Menma replied, rolling his eyes. 'See all the snow? No way Land of Fire could be like that. I'm beginning to think that your mind is getting slow, Kurama.'

**'You are in no position to taunt me like that, fool! I have lived for centuries and I ought to snap your neck for your insolence,' **The fox thundered angrily. His tails waved threateningly behind him, tempted to slam onto the ground. Growling impatiently, he said, **'Give me a moment, I'm going to check the chakra here.'**

Strong waves of power coalesced in the hands of the nine-tails, sweeping throughout Menma's mind scape. The tingling sensation on his skin stopped when the fox separated his hands. This time, Kurama looked slightly miffed, if not distressed. He snarled, baring his sharp canines. **'Really now, what have you done? We're not even in the Elemental Nations anymore. The energy here doesn't feel like chakra. It's much weaker.'**

Menma snorted. 'What do you mean we're not in the Elemental Nations? That's impossible.'

**'Exactly what I mean!' **The fox snapped at Menma, sharp claret eyes displaying annoyance. **'We might be in an entirely different place. Possibly an entirely different dimension. I'm warning you now, kit, but we're in an extremely dangerous situation.'**

'But... how? How can we be in a different dimension?' Menma spluttered, staring wide-eyed at Kurama. 'Hold up, if this is your form of joke I am not playing along, old coot.'

**'Brat, if I was joking, I would have started laughing by now. I'm being a hundred-percent, old man sage serious,'** Kurama snarled. **'You. Are. In. A. Different. Dimension.'**

Menma remained silent, panic clouding his features. Surely being an S-Rank international criminal would have prepared him for unexpected situations, but he had never experienced something like this. Being in a different dimension... It went unsaid that he desperately wanted to go back to the Elemental Nations. What would he do now?

'Okay. Got it. Different dimension...' He trailed off, voice softening with a rush of fear that hit him hard. A small voice reminded him that he wasn't alone in this situation and had dragged the fox unwillingly into this. A snicker left his mouth at that thought. However, there were some advantages to being in a different dimension. He didn't have to face the ugly glares waiting for him back in _Konoha_. News of his defection and return had made him infamous, especially outside of the village.

**'Right kit, better start moving. The storm is going to start up again if you don't keep walking,' **Kurama warned, staring at Menma's fur coat. **'You would have less chances of survival in this horrible snow.'**

'Yeah, I know,' Menma grumbled, listening to the crunch of snow underneath his _shinobi_ sandals.

'Damn, open-toed shoes are totally not helping in this situation.'

* * *

Menma had been dragging himself through the thick snow and soaring winds for the past hour or so. He was finally beginning to feel slightly warmer, as the climate gradually became more inviting. While he did have the ability to fly, it wouldn't be very smart to throw himself twenty meters above, into the raging gusts. He would most likely get whipped around like a toothpick.

Throughout the period of cold winter harshness, he pondered about his current predicament. How in the world could he be in a different dimension? It just seemed slightly surreal and odd to him. Sure, he accepted it for now, but he did want to go back. In a land of foreign practices, who knew what could happen?

Shrugging his coat off, Menma realised that it was not snowing anymore and the temperatures had risen to a comfortably cool air. He re-sealed his coat, tucking the scroll back into his pouch.

There was more vegetation in this area than on the mountains and it was much easier to breathe down here. As he continued down his delegated path, he started to feel aware of the different energies around him. It felt different from chakra, still powerful, but not as potent or threatening. He current task was to search for signs of civilisation so as to get a better grasp on his situation.

When he emerged from the side of a rock wall, he saw a dirt path reaching into a forest. Checking it again, he decided to follow the path, hoping that it would lead him to some place where he could at least find out something. It seemed used, due to the fresh markings and downtrodden soil.

The sky was still bright, thankfully, and Menma checked the location of the sun. Sighing in relief, he noted that it was centered in the middle of the sky. He made a few mental calculations. If it was noon now, that would have meant that he had arrived at roughly ten in the morning if he estimated the time of his exploration to be an hour or so.

That didn't really help much.

He knew he had been on his way to Ichiraku's at around eleven in the morning. Had a day passed since then? How would he have gotten into another universe? He had already ruled out the possibility of the situation being a _genjutsu_. Kurama would have known if it was. Maybe an enemy _shinobi_? Nah, who would be that strong?

Or was it the masked man that had caused his demise?

That was certainly possible.

He knew he couldn't trust strangers.

Lost in his thoughts, he had not noticed the first hints of a town. The forest around him was slowly fading away, leaving only gravel and dirt, and some occasional bushes. Buildings were starting to take form, silhouettes casting shadows on the tiled ground. Menma let out a breath and allowed a small tilt of his lips.

It had taken a while, but he had found a town.

Now for the slightly irritating and tiring thing. Finding information about where he was and if he could possibly get back to _Konoha_. He walked with more confidence into the town. There were people milling around, speaking with each other and they looked reasonably happy. It seemed that this was a normal city, with simple people and ordinary shops.

As Menma ambled through the various streets, he frowned at the distinctly unfamiliar architectural style. The shops and houses were unlike the ones in _Konoha_. They had nicely bricked structures with shingled roofs and a certain sense of flair to them. Back in his village, most of the houses were made of wood and they had a much simpler design. More minimalistic than the flaunting air of the buildings that currently surrounded him.

In the far distance, he saw a tall structure, rather striking. It looked very magnificent, with elegant stained glass windows and rising columns of what seemed to be white marble.

People stared at him when he walked by, along with some whispers from excited women and blatant gazes of admiration. Menma registered them all with slight irritation. The looks of amazement were strange to him, after being taunted by villagers for a long time. Though his clothes might have been rather foreign, his looks attracted more attention. He ignored the gawking.

It was time to search for information. He was aware of the conversations fluttering across the street, enveloping him in a world of various noises. At least they spoke the same language which he did.

"Did you hear see Mirajane's new cover shoot from Sorcerer Weekly? She looked so hot! I mean like seriously, she posed in a bikini!"

"Hey, have you heard that Fairy Tail's Erza Scarlet was arrested by the Magic Council?"

"You're looking up old news, she's already been released."

Menma digested the new snippets of conversation, grimacing when he heard many terms which he was foreign to. 'Magic Council', 'Sorcerer Weekly', 'Fairy Tail'? What were those? The terms Magic Council and Sorcerer struck him hard. Did this place employ magic as a source of power? Since there was a council formed for that, what kind of place was this?

Running an exasperated hand through his dark hair, he shook his head. He could not gather information like this. He needed to either ask someone, or do some research on this land. It was an easy choice, since Menma particularly disliked interacting with people. Naturally pessimistic, he hid under the guise of fake sunshine and happiness, fooling all his friends and family. That was why he bonded so well with Kurama. They both shared an inexplicably intense hatred for everything under the sun.

Well, Menma had been freed of his anger and hate, but it could not be banished forever.

**'Thinking about it again? I'm terribly upset that you got past that stage, but I guess I still can get along with your pathetic nature,' **Kurama sniped, jokingly whipping a tail out at Menma. **'Stop your ridiculous thinking. If you need material on this world, then you're probably blind. Can't you see that there's a bookstore nearby? Called Book Land or something.'**

'Seems like your aged eyes are good for something after all,' Menma retorted, growling with indignation. He looked around and saw what the old fox had pointed out. Book Land, huh? It boasted a refined exterior, yellow bricks with pretty pink walls and arched windows along with an interesting green door. A sign in a shape of a book hung on a pole. 'Looks somewhat nice.'

**'A little too manly for you, isn't it?'** Kurama gave a snide bark of laughter as Menma walked into the store, wishing fervidly that the fox would just shut up for a moment.

A bell at the door chimed, notifying the clerk at the counter of Menma's entry. The wayward _shinobi_ nearly whipped out his _kunai_ at the sudden sound, but stilled his hand when he realised it was just the bell. The clerk smiled brightly at him, running her eyes over his body and nodding in approval. She was about to say something but Menma focused his attention on the green bookshelves, skimming over a few titles. He moved forward, examining the shelves with deep concentration.

An amazing variety of books and titles assaulted his vision, each presenting itself in different characters. Some in big, bold lettering and occasional meek ones, small font with simplistic designs. He wasn't particularly interested in the assortment of romance novels and completely avoided their designated area on the shelf.

A title caught his attention. 'The Great History of a Continent : Fiore'

He plucked it out, reading the summary at the back of the hardcover book and grazing his fingers against the solid surface. Turning it over to look at the front, he saw a picture of a large map, with a mass of land named 'Fiore'. The title of the book hovered over it proudly, in a classy font. The book was rather heavy in his hands.

Mussing up his hair once more, he opened the book. It would be dumb to read through the whole book from start to end, so Menma stopped at the page of contents, choosing various topics which would indulge his need for information.

'Fiore, a continent'

'Magic and it's History'

'The Guild System'

'The Magic Council'

'Wondrous Creatures'

'Jewels : Currency and it's origins'

Other chapters, such as 'Relations with other Continents' and 'Cultural Formations', he ignored. Sighing at the amount of pages, he quickly read each one, not wanting to spend too much time in this small bookstore. There were some details which he missed out, though he got the gist of it. While he didn't know specifically where he was, it was safe to say that he was in Fiore, or possibly Magnolia in Fiore. Fairy Tail was located in Magnolia. He remembered several passer-by's mentioning the guild's name and the book listed it as the attraction of Magnolia.

Menma sighed. There were a few questions answered, but a whole lot more raised. Along with more questions, there were more issues. Menma didn't have any of their currency, as stated, Jewels. He only had some _ryo_ but he was pretty sure that they didn't do foreign exchange here.

Without any money, how was he going to live? He could get a job, or join a guild. Those two options didn't sit well with him. He didn't really want to work as a salesman or cashier. On the other hand, he wasn't fond of settling down so soon with a guild.

Frowning in distaste, he returned the book to it's original position on the shelf. As he was turning away from the array of books, he felt something soft hit his arm. A feminine yelp was heard and the loud thumping of books slamming into the floor was audible. Alarmed by the sudden contact, his reflexes activated and he whipped out a _kunai_, crossing it in front of his chest in defense.

"Oww," A whining female voice sounded out and Menma stowed away his _kunai_ when he realised that he just knocked into someone. He hoped she hadn't seen his weapon. He looked down to find a blue-haired girl on the floor with books surrounding her body. She was rubbing the arm which Menma had bumped his shoulder against.

He stared at her for a short moment and with instinct, he apologised. "Sorry about that." Kushina didn't beat the manners into him for nothing. Holding out a hand for the female to take, he studied her form. She was short, pixie-like, with matching blue hair that brushed her shoulders.

"It's alright," She replied cheerfully, glancing up at Menma's outstretched hand and grasping it, lifting herself off the floor. Dusting off the skirt of her dress, she faced Menma and flushed lightly at his appearance. "I'm fine."

Exhaling slowly, he crouched down and picked up all her fallen books and handed them back to her. With a grin, she thanked him. "It's nice of you to help me." Menma stared at her blankly, regarding her expression with a stiff nod. People being nice to him was still a little too strange. He had not gotten used to the absence of loathing stares and whispers of 'traitor'.

He nodded again for reassurance and she smiled back. He turned away from her and departed from the bookstore just as she was about to say something, leaving her with her mouth wide open. The bell that was hung on the door chimed once more and the clerk at the counter shouted to him, excitement evident in her voice. "Please come back again soon!"

Those words didn't reach Menma's ears. He was mulling over the problems he would have to face for the day (or night, it seemed). He didn't have any where to stay (not a problem, he wasn't a trained _shinobi_ for nothing), but the wilderness was less inviting than a night at an inn. He was sure that they had inns in this town, but he didn't have enough (or any) money. For some reason, a calm sense of panic washed over him. It was as if nothing was wrong. Like this was a strange dream that never happened.

It wasn't reality, was it?

Menma would have to survive the night to find out.

* * *

A/N : I am absolutely stunned at the amount of feedback for the past chapter. I would have never imagined to get such a response from all of you. Really, thank you so much.

I decided to start from a proper point and since some of you felt that having Menma play a mentor role in the story wasn't very appealing. I liked both ideas, but I did want to try my hand at something new. I haven't written anything like this before, so it's very exciting. By the way, there will be **no pairings** in this.

I'm not too fond of romance in an adventure story and I'm very afraid to sidetrack from the original plot. Also, I just couldn't see Menma in a romantic relationship with the ladies of Fairy Tail, so it would be difficult if I don't have the passion for the ship.

I will try to make the next few chapters longer, so that all of you can enjoy the story better. Please do point out any mistakes or inconsistencies in this chapter. Also, I have edited the first chapter so that Menma has black hair and blue eyes, instead of the previous black hair and red eyes. You can consider this as a Christmas present from me, of sorts. If you'd like, leave a review.

Merry Christmas and have a happy holiday, everyone! I was very glad to have put this up before my birthday. Sort of a present to myself as well. I do hope that all of you have a wonderful new year.


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